Google Social Search was launched last year as part of Google Labs, the product has been in testing and is due to be launched in the next few days, so what exactly does it do?

Google Social Search is an innovative concept which allows users to search their own personal social networks, blog posts and other social content for specific information. The possibilities are endless you could look within your own social network to find out firstly who is an expert on a specific topic and secondly who is talking about or has similar interests or opinions. Really this is just the very beginning; the possibilities for research are endless allowing users to network there direct contacts based on keyword search queries.

To get the full benefit of Google Social Search you will need a Google account and you’ll have to be signed in. Within your Google account you’ll need to configure your profile to include all of your social networks etc. Google have also added the service to Google Image search so you can find images based on a keyword search exclusively from your social circle.

“While we’ve been enjoying Social Search (and having babies), we’ve been hard at work on new features. For example, we’ve added social to Google Images. Now when you’re doing a search on Images, you may start seeing pictures from people in your social circle. These are pictures that your friends and other contacts have published publicly to the web on photo-sharing sites like Picasa Web Albums and Flickr. Just like the other social results, social image results appear under a special heading called “Results from your social circle” Google Blog.

We’ll update the post to let you know when the service has gone live but in the mean time, here’s a great video, by Google, which gives an overview of what lies ahead.

Article by Creative SEO

2010 is well on its way, the way we search the internet is set to change, search engines continue to adapt and evolve to fulfil the ever growing needs of the consumer but what exactly is going to happen and how will Search Engine Optimisation and Marketing adapt to the changes?

Google, Yahoo and Bing continue to fight for supremacy but even with the challenge of the new Yahoo and Bing Partnership, Google’s simplicity of use and popularity have continued to assure its market leading position. Google are set to continue heaping on the pressure with the launch of the new caffeine update, due to complete by the end of January and the introduction of cookie based personalised search results. Google have also mentioned the Page Load Speed will also become an important part of the Google Algorithm, so what is going to happen and how will this effect online business?

Below is a list of Articles from key websites detailing their predictions for 2010, the articles are extremely interesting and show a clear trend of opinion.

Article by Creative SEO

Search Engine Land: Link Building Trends For 2010

Search Engine Watch: 5 New Year Resolutions for Search Marketers in 2010

Acidgreen: SEO Trends in 2010: Search Engine Optimization Techniques for Online Marketers

Internet Marketing Inc.: Three 2010 SEO Trends to Look Out For: Social Media, Onpage SEO & Link Diversity

Small Business Trends: SEO Trends to Watch for in 2010

SEOptimise: 20 SEO New Year’s Resolutions for 2010

Search Engine Land: 6 New Years Resolutions For In-House SEMs

Search Engine Journal: 2010: A New Age For Search Marketers

SEOmoz: 8 Predictions for SEO in 2010

David Harry: White Coat SEO resolutions for the New Year

Search Engine People: My 3 PPC Resolutions – Why 2010 Will be Defined by Mobile, Facebook and the Website Optimizer

PPC Without Pity: Three PPC Predictions For 2010

Search Engine Land: My PPC New Year Resolutions

Search Engine Watch: Search Marketing 2010: Plan ahead by looking back

PPC Hero: 5 PPC Resolutions for 2010

Search Engine Land: Five Search Marketing Predictions For 2010

Web.com: 5 Pay-Per-Click Trends to Watch in 2010

Google: Think2010: Personalization and accountability (Google AdWords video series)

Search Engine Land: 2010 Planning: 3 Tips To Improve Search Results Next Year

eMarketer: eMarketer Weighs In on 2010: Online Advertising & Usage

GigaOM: Will 2010 Finally be the Year of Location?

Local SEO Guide: Local SEO Predictions 2010

Mashable: Location, Location, Location: 5 Big Predictions for 2010

Small Business Trends: Five Can’t-Miss Mobile Marketing Trends For 2010

Search Engine Land: Predictions For The Changing Local Search Landscape In 2010

Marketing Charts: Top 10 Wireless Predictions for 2010

Social Media Explorer: Five Things We Should All Do In 2010

Mashable: Facebook: 5 Predictions for 2010

ReadWriteWeb: 10 Ways Social Media Will Change In 2010

Dan Zarrella: My Predictions for Social Media Marketing in 2010

DreamGrow Digital: 22 Social Media Marketing Trends for 2010

Social Media B2B: 11 B2B Social Media Predictions For 2010

eMarketer: eMarketer Weighs In on 2010 Trends: Social Media & Paid Content

Search Engine Land: 12 Social Media New Year’s Resolutions For 2010

10e20: 6 More Social Media New Year’s Resolutions For 2010

Harvard Business Review: Six Social Media Trends for 2010

451 Marketing: Top Social Media Strategists to Watch in 2010

SmartBlog on Social Media: Looking ahead to 2010 with Shiv Singh

Google have launched the Adwords Optimisation Center, a new educational learning and resource centre offering advice, tips and strategies to all types of Adwords users.

The new centre has been designed to help basic, intermediate and advanced Adwords users to get the very best out of the Adwords service; featuring information, tips advice and knowledge from Google’s very own Adwords, specialists who have worked with a variety of different sized businesses and accounts.  This invaluable resource features tips about each major account feature including Ads creation, Keyword usage, Targeting Users, Bidding and Budgeting and Account structure. There is also detailed information about how to improve your ROI (Return on Investment), Improve your Ad position, Increase Sales and Leads and Improve Click through Rates (CTR).

Article by Creative SEO

Google have partnered with the Wharton School to launch a brand new resource for Marketers to share and learn about the ever changing world of Marketing. The site is called Fast.Forward and is based as a YouTube channel. It features hundreds of valuable and informative videos from some of the world’s top marketing academics and leading experts including Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Lauder Professor at the Wharton School, Jerry Wind, Nancy Hill, CEO of AAAA.

“As consumers become more and more technologically savvy, businesses and marketers have worked quickly to keep up. As a result, many companies are left questioning what they aren’t doing that they should be, or what they should do next to stay in front of the right people, in the right place, at the right time, in an increasingly digital world.

To address some of these questions, we have partnered with The Wharton School to launch our Fast.Forward. Channel on YouTube, which highlights insightful perspectives from industry experts and academics on how marketers can stay ahead in the changing landscape. (You might have seen a similar site launched by our UK marketing team in partnership with London Business School earlier this year.)” Taken from the Google Biz Blog.

This is a great source of information which will only improve over time and is well worth a visit.

Article by Creative SEO UK

Google has launched a new online network which is set to simplify and speed up both online display ad publishing and advertising. Google has now officially acknowledged the launch and the new network which is set to shake up the existing display advertising community while promising to improving usability and accessibility.



“today we’re excited to announce the new DoubleClick Ad Exchange, a step towards creating a more open display advertising ecosystem for everyone. The Ad Exchange is a real-time marketplace that helps large online publishers on one side; and ad networks and agency networks on the other, buy and sell display advertising space.” Taken from the official Google Blog.

Google has set up three primary objectives for the DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

1) Make the buying and selling of display advertising easier and simpler to use.
2) Delivering improved performance which can be directly measured by advertising agencies
3) Open up the ecosystem.

“These publishers and ad networks manage and represent large volumes of ads and ad space from lots of advertisers and websites. By bringing them together in an open marketplace in which prices are set in a real-time auction, the Ad Exchange enables display ads and ad space to be allocated much more efficiently. This improves returns for advertisers and enables publishers to get the most value out of their online content.” Taken from the Official Google Blog.

This is not a new idea, there are many existing and established ad exchange networks but what will be different is Google’s approach. The Double Click Ad Exchange will be simple to use and accessible to all levels of advertiser and publisher. Integration into the existing Adwords community is sure to set the foundations for the success of this product. We will have to wait and see how the network is received but it does look set to offer users a valuable alternative to the existing ad exchange networks.

Article by Creative SEO UK